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In this week’s edition of “100 Things College Football Bettors Should Know”, we look at teams that have experienced extreme success – or extreme disappointment – against the spread during a season.

1. Double-digit covers

Nine college football teams covered the spread in at least 10 games last season, the most in one season in at least the past 10 years and double the 10-year average.

Auburn and Missouri each covered the spread in 12 games, according to the 2013 Linemakers line archives. http://linemakers.sportingnews.com/against-the-spread/ncaaf The 2009 national champion Florida Gators are the only other team to cover the spread in 12 games during a season over the past 10 years.*

In addition to Auburn and Missouri, Colorado State, Bowling Green, Houston, Navy, North Texas, Duke and Florida State also reached 10 ATS wins last season. If you would have bet $100 on those nine teams in every game, you’d have won $6,730.

2. The season before 10 covers.

In the last 10 years, 46 teams have covered the spread in at least 10 games during a season. Only 18 of those 46 teams had a winning record against the spread the prior season.

3. The season after 10 covers

Auburn, North Carolina State, Virginia Tech, Missouri and Central Michigan are the only teams to cover 10 spreads in two seasons over the last 10 years. The ACC, SEC and Mountain West each produced six 10-cover seasons, the most of any of conference.

The teams that accomplished the 10-plus-cover feat from 2004-2012 went a combined 233-276-10 ATS (45.77 percent) the following season.

4. Double-digit ATS losses

Only 15 teams over the past 10 years have posted at least 10 ATS losses in a season. Three teams — California, Eastern Michigan and UTEP — failed to cover in at least 10 games last season.

Theories vary as to why there so fewer 10-plus-ATS-loss teams compared to the 46 10-cover teams, but the No. 1 reason is fewer games. Teams that struggle to an extreme against the spread almost always struggle straight-up as well, and therefore, rarely reach a bowl or conference championship game. Cal, Eastern Michigan and UTEP combined to go 5-31 straight-up and 6-30 ATS last season.

Michigan, during the Rich Rodriguez era, is the only team to accomplish the feat twice.

Among last season’s bowl teams, Georgia had the worst record against the spread at 3-8-1.

5. Seasons after double-digit ATS losses

Of the 12 teams to suffer 10-plus ATS losses from 2004-2012, five had a winning ATS records the following season. As a group, the dozen teams went 74-71 ATS the season after failing to cover in 10 or more games.

6. Season before double-digit ATS loses

Five of the 15 teams to suffer 10-plus ATS losses over the last 10 years had winning records against the spread the prior season. The 15 teams were a combined 77-86 ATS the season prior to losing 10 games against the spread.

Who’ll be this year’s 10-ATS-win teams?

I asked Twitter to pick one college football team that would finish with a winning record against the spread this season. Here are the three teams that attracted the most responses and one personal favorite to finish this season with a winning ATS record.

Please give me 1 college football team that will finish the season with a winning record against the spread and why.

7. Maryland. The Terrapins arrive in the Big Ten with one of the most experienced rosters in the nation (17 returning starters). They went 7-6 SU and 7-6 ATS last season, despite being ravaged by injuries.

@DavidPurdum Maryland. Injuries killed them LY, market undervalued at 6.5 wins, Edsall improve ATS there last 2 years. New to B10 a '?'

9. Rutgers. Another newcomer to the Big Ten, the Scarlett Knights went 6-7 SU, 5-8 ATS last season under coach Kyle Flood. They return 16 starters and a senior QB in Gary Nova. The offensive line has 99 career starts, the third most of any Big Ten team.

@DavidPurdum Rutgers - decimated by injuries last year and Nova threw away a lot of games. The front 7 should settle in nicely in the Big 10

The Monarchs went 8-4 straight-up last season, a transition year from the FCS to the FBS. They went 1-4 against FBS competition (3-2 ATS), losing at East Carolina, at Maryland, at Pittsburgh and at North Carolina. Their lone win against FBS competition was a 59-38 win at Idaho. The season ended with an 80-20 loss to North Carolina, something coach Bobby Wilder certainly reminded his players of during the offseason.

The Monarchs enter their first year in Conference USA with 17 returning starters, including senior QB Taylor Heinicke, a pro prospect who owns the Division I single-game passing yards record with 730 yards in a competitive 64-61 win over New Hampshire in 2012.

Wilder was the offensive coordinator at Maine while Chip Kelly was at New Hampshire and has adopted a lot of Kelly’s up-tempo philosophies. ODU has averaged 43.5 points per game the past two seasons.